A former DHR contract worker has been indicted in the 2025 hot car death of a 3-year-old boy in her care. A Jefferson County grand jury issued the indictment against Kela Stanford in February, which was made public Wednesday, March 25.
Kettorius “KJ” Starkes, Jr., 3, died July 22, 2025, while under the care of Stanford. At that time, she worked as a transport driver for Covenant Services, Inc., a company which contracts with DHR. KJ had been left in Stanford’s car in extreme heat conditions in the driveway of her east Birmingham home for approximately five hours.
Stanford is charged with leaving a child unattended in a motor vehicle, which is a class B felony. While a grand jury initially set a no-bond for Stanford in error, District Judge Kandice Pickett clarified that Stanford’s bond would remain at $30,000.
The Events of July 22
According to detective testimony, Stanford had driven KJ to Bessemer for a DHR-scheduled visit with his biological father. Instead of immediately returning KJ to his daycare after that visit, Stanford made several stops:
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Church’s Chicken
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Little Caesars * A tobacco shop (to pick up cigars for her husband)
All of these businesses were located within blocks of KJ’s daycare. Stanford told officers she had “a lot on her mind” and was distracted, failing to realize KJ was still in the vehicle.
Timeline of the Incident
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9:00 a.m.: Stanford picked up KJ from Giggles and Wiggles Academy.
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11:30 a.m.: Following the visit in Bessemer, Stanford drove back to Birmingham to get food and cigars.
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12:30 p.m.: Stanford returned home with KJ still in the car.
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12:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.: Stanford told detectives she watched a movie with her husband and opened Amazon packages while KJ remained in the vehicle.
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5:30 p.m.: Stanford received a call from KJ’s foster mother stating he had not been returned to daycare.
Upon finding KJ unresponsive, Stanford reportedly placed the child in a cold bathtub and attempted CPR. Birmingham Fire and Rescue were notified at 5:44 p.m., and KJ was tragically pronounced dead at 6:02 p.m.
Investigation and Outrage
Detective Gabriel Lacally testified that the outside temperature that day reached 96 degrees; a civil lawsuit claims the temperature inside the car exceeded 140 degrees.
Stanford’s lawyer, Derek Simms, has maintained that the death was a “terrible, unspeakable tragedy” but an accident, rather than a criminal act. However, the incident sparked significant backlash from officials:
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Gov. Ivey described the death as the result of “reprehensible and gross negligence.”
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State Rep. Patrick Sellers noted that the tragedy revealed “glaring cracks in the system” regarding those entrusted with child care.
KJ’s family has since filed a civil lawsuit against both DHR and Stanford.
